Children not only learn at school but also at home, on the street, in clubs and from friends.

In order to optimize the development opportunities of children, these learning situations should be more attuned to each other. Moreover, not all children are given the same opportunities to develop at home or in their spare time.

Familiarity with and interest in sports, reading, computing or artistic activities, for example, often depend on coincidental factors. This reduces the chances of optimal development of children. That is why Community Schools have been developed.

De Brede School is a network of schools and other facilities in the field of welfare, culture, sports, nature & technology and education with the aim of increasing the development opportunities of children and their parents and to promote the active participation of children in society, to offer children a good ‚daily schedule‘, to remove possible disadvantages of children and to increase their social competence.

Vision

A Community School in Gouda is:

• a close partnership between schools and institutions
• that sets itself a goal based on a coherent and integrated approach
• to develop a comprehensive network of care and
• through a demand-oriented and balanced supply of school and non-school activities, optimizing the education and development opportunities of children and young people and improving the social competence of those children and young people
• at school, at home and in their neighborhood.

For each district, schools and institutions give their own interpretation to the concept. A tailor-made interpretation that must respond to the specific needs of the children and their parents at precisely these schools, in precisely this neighborhood.

The great value of the Broad School Thought is the added value that arises through cooperation and coordination of the offer. It not only means offering new activities, it also means organizing existing work differently.